The most 2020 protest yet just happened in Fort Mill. But what will the town do?
In any other year, the monument protest in Fort Mill on Monday night would have seemed unusual. For 2020, it fits.
A host of residents let Fort Mill Town Council know on Monday they aren’t satisfied with Confederate Park downtown and its Confederate monuments, nor streets named for people who supported slavery or segregation.
Yet there wasn’t a host of residents. At least not in any physical place.
Council held a virtual meeting. As COVID-19 cases continue an upward path in York County, council joined others in the area with varying social distancing measures. Fort Mill, as other councils have, invited public comment via email ahead of the meeting.
The result Monday was a tag team reading of a long list of protest letters from people who weren’t actually there.
“It is my belief we are in a moment in our nation’s history where we are being asked to seize the opportunity to make change for the better,” wrote resident Tracy Simpson, as read by town manager Davy Broom.
Mayor Guynn Savage prefers to take public comment in person. Yet she, who alternated with Broom in reading the emails, understands the challenge coronavirus presents.
“We are working as hard as we can to adjust to ensuring that all information, communication is continued in this time of pandemic,” Savage said.
Confederate Park
Multiple in-person protests have been held recently in Fort Mill including one at Confederate Park even as social distancing measures from coronavirus limited gathering. A group called End White Supremacy Fort Mill has formed.
Market Street resident Kelsey Cater wrote concern about Confederate Park isn’t recent.
“I personally have been appalled by their presence since I was old enough to understand what they were,” Cater wrote of Confederate Park and street names, as read by Savage. “Everyone I have talked to has felt revulsion for them as well. The only effect the recent events have had is to reveal how many of us there are.”
A typical town meeting may have only one or two public comments, and many have none. Savage and Broom read 11 Monday. Of the letters that were read, none supported keeping the monuments.
Nearly all — some related to coronavirus mask requirements — called for the renaming of Confederate Park and removal of, or addition to (for more historical context), monuments there. Many called for street name changes at Confederate, Calhoun, Lee, Jackson, Sidney Johnson, Morgan, Forrest and Leonidas.
“The Confederacy seceded from America in order to defend their way of life, which was predicated on the enslavement and oppression of my ancestors,” wrote Kevin Henderson, read by Broom. “The Confederacy was the antithesis of proposed American ideals of democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality.”
The U.S. Navy veteran and 14-year town resident wrote in his email that the town’s motto of being a friendly and progressive place doesn’t relate to the Confederacy.
“It is very disheartening to live in Fort Mill and pay taxes in support of any celebration honoring the traitors of the Confederacy,” Henderson wrote. “It is also troubling that the police department is located on Confederate Street.”
Nicole Creech wrote, and Savage read, that the mentioned street names are a “true embarrassment to our town.”
“Confederate memorials still hold a prominent place in downtown,” Creech wrote. “These archaic statues honoring Confederate soldiers, Confederate women, Catawba who fought for the Confederacy and most disturbingly the faithful slaves -- unconscionable in 2020.”
Creech, too, wrote the park and monuments aren’t a good look for the town.
“They convey a message of outdated veneration for a very painful and treasonous part of our local history,” Creech wrote. “It does not present a progressive face to residents or visitors for our town.”
Unwelcome signs
Baxter resident Michele Killion wrote, and Broom read, that Confederate reminders aren’t a good look for a town trying to attract business. Or trying to attract any wide variety of people.
“We have family and friends here that will intentionally try to avoid Confederate monuments,” Killion wrote. “Frankly, it’s an embarrassment ....still has lasting signs of white supremacy.”
A Hensley Road resident wrote, Broom read, the monuments go against town values.
“It is time to address the embarrassing issue of the glorification of the Confederacy in parks and street names,” Killion wrote. “It is very unwelcoming and not representative of the true spirit of this town.”
Simpson, who wrote tax dollars shouldn’t go to upkeep of Confederate Park, also wrote it’s time to stop glorifying slave owners, and listen to the descendents of slaves.
“The time is long overdue to speak the truth about our nation’s history,” Simpson wrote. “We are a country that has tremendous wealth today in large part because it was built on the backs of the free labor of slaves.”
Heritage Act
Several residents wrote there is precedent for change. One of the main roads through town is Tom Hall Street. Hall, a Medal of Honor recipient killed in World War I, became the namesake of the former Booth Street, named for the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.
“Do you care that people from elsewhere think our statues and streets make our town one of the biggest monuments to white supremacy anywhere in the world?”” wrote Massey resident Megan Drew.
“Will the town be asking our state legislative delegation to vote to overturn the Heritage Act and let the town of Fort Mill, not legislators who can’t find Fort Mill on a map, to have final say on our monuments and street names?” Drew wrote.
The Heritage Act in South Carolina was a compromise put in place decades ago amid debate on whether the Confederate battle flag should fly atop the statehouse. The flag came off the statehouse and state legislators determined local government officials couldn’t change names of parks or remove monuments dedicated to any war, historic figure or event without a two-thirds vote from the state House and Senate.
An Oakland Pointe resident wrote, Broom read, that as a South Carolina native with a long police and military career he is aware of state history from its first to seceed status to a record fillibuster during Civil Rights Act debate, to the more recent Confederate flag debate.
“At long last we are beginning to witness a sea change in the South,” he wrote.
The argument for keeping Confederate monuments as an issue of heritage doesn’t work, he wrote, as Confederate heritage is one of “treason and treachery.” Mississippi recently voted to remove the Confederate cross portion of its flag, and other areas throughout the South have taken similar stances, he wrote.
“This is Fort Mill’s opportunity to be foremost among those,” the resident wrote.
Change in Fort Mill
Savage said since renewed interest in Confederate Park came months ago that comments have come both in favor of and against keeping the park and its monuments. Council typically doesn’t respond at meetings to public comment, but Savage addressed concern.
“It is worthy of saying that as a council we receive a number of emails and contacts,” she said. “Not just emails, not just Facebook messages but phone calls and contacts from people within our community. We share those with each other and we all take every comment into consideration.”
Some comments are “unkind to say the least” and Savage doesn’t respond to them, she said. Otherwise the mayor tries to address concern as she can.
“We do gather input,” Savage said. “We are working toward, what might this council be able to do? We do not lean on the Heritage Act as a crutch. It is a law.”
Council has to uphold state laws, she said. Savage said the town has reviewed the Heritage Act and sought legal advice on it. The legal advice continues, she said.
“We have begun reaching out and talking to members of our community, and at some point I hope that we will make a decision on what can be done legally and successfully within our community,” Savage said.
